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1975-1980
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Visitor Fees in
the National Park System: A Legislative and Administrative History V. CONFLICTING PRESSURES; CONGRESS PUTS THE LID ON 1975-1980 |
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The Proposed Fee Increase, 1978-1979
The heightened attention to fee revenues stemming from such prodding resulted in a servicewide entrance fee standard and revenue increase plan the following June. The standard, contained in a memorandum from Director William J. Whalen to the Washington and field directorate, specified that entrance fees would be charged where entrance could be controlled, a Federal investment had been made in facilities or programs, fee collection was cost-effective, and entrance fees were not prohibited by law or other binding obligation. Entrance fees at urban recreation areas were explicitly ruled out. Fees for single visit permits would range from $3 per vehicle at Group I areas to $1 per vehicle at Group III areas; the areas were grouped based on the size of their operating budgets. Persons entering by other than private vehicle would pay a uniform 50¢ each. The new schedule was to take effect October 1, 1978. [5]
Following issuance of the Whalen memorandum, the Office of Management and Budget (0MB) reduced the Service's fiscal 1980 budget request for operation of the National Park System by $12 million and advised the Service to make up the loss through fees. This led to a further increase in the projected rates to a $4 maximum (at Yosemite $4.50 because of a 50 cent surcharge for that park's visitor transportation system). Entrance fees would be raised at 14 areas already levying such charges and initiated at 9 parks; in addition, campground fees would increase in 52 areas. The additional revenues were to be applied to park maintenance. [6]
Sharply adverse reaction from Representative Phillip Burton, chairman of the House Interior Committee's subcommittee on parks, delayed implementation of the new rates and gave the corresponding Senate subcommittee, chaired by Senator Dale Bumpers of Arkansas, opportunity to hold a hearing on the proposed fee increase on March 5, 1979. Bumpers opened by expressing concern about the size of the increase (yielding revenues more than 70 percent over the 1978 level) and the linking of fees to park maintenance. He disagreed that visitors should be responsible for meeting the burden of higher maintenance costs and wondered how maintenance needs would be funded if fee income proved inadequate.
Director Whalen made clear that the proposal had been forced by OMB, and although he claimed to support it, the tone of his testimony revealed his lack of commitment. He derided the theory that people take better care of parks when they have to pay and noted that visitation had increased at a park he had headed when the entrance fee was dropped--"So there is another side to this, that I think it is only fair this committee be aware of." In defense of the proposal, he did note that many park fees had remained constant for years and that those buying the $10 Golden Eagle Passport would pay no more for entry. But the committee was plainly unconvinced. [7]
A New York Times article on the fee increase proposal after the hearing contained further evidence of where Service leadership stood on the matter: "The White House Office of Management and Budget pushed the rises over objections by the park service, an agency source said, requesting that his name to be withheld" (sic). [8]
Whalen's testimony and the Times article occasioned a stinging letter from OMB Director James T. McIntyre, Jr., to Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus:
Two recent events involving members of your staff have indicated an unsatisfactory level of support for the increase in park fee collections proposed for 1979-1980....
The increase in park fee collections is contained in the President's Budget for FY 1980. You personally agreed to this increase after the amount....was reduced from a higher proposed figure. I expect all members of the Administration to support the proposals contained in the President's Budget, and statements such as that referred to in the article are counterproductive in this regard. I believe Director Whalen missed numerous opportunities during the course of the testimony to advance the arguments in favor of increased fee collections. I hope that you will emphasize once more to your staff that the President's Budget should be defended with the best arguments available.
The case for increased park fee collections is a strong one:
Increased park fee collections will shift a bit of the burden of financing park operations from the general taxpayer to park users. This is consistent with the general emphasis in this budget on efficient, cost-effective management.
The average park visitor can afford to pay higher fees. (Sixty-three percent of park visitors have family incomes exceeding $15,000 per year versus 36 percent of all Americans.)
Park entrance fees haven't been increased since 1972. (It now costs about the same for a family of four to enter Yellowstone Park as to buy them all ice cream cones.)
Surveys indicate park users are willing to pay higher fees, and that they would prefer increased costs of operating parks to be financed by higher fees rather than by increased taxes.
National parks do poorly in collecting fees compared to States, counties and cities. Federal parks only finance five percent of operating costs through fees, city parks finance 12 percent, counties do 20 percent, and States do 25 percent.
Higher fees will not be imposed in urban areas, which are the areas most likely to be used by the poor.
I trust your staff will emphasize these points in the future. [9]
NEXT> Freezing the Entrance Fees, 1979-1980
5Memorandum, Whalen to Directorate, WASO and Field, June 13, 1978, WASO-535.
6U.S., Congress, Senate, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Entrance and User Fees Within the National Park System, Hearing, Mar. 5, 1979, pp. 3, 39.
8Rise in Admission Fees to U.S. Parks Planned," Mar. 12, 1979, clipping with letter, Director James T. McIntyre, Jr., OMB, to Interior Secretary Cecil D. Andrus, Apr. 3, 1979, Interior Solicitor's Office.
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Last Modified: Tues, Apr 4 2000 07:08:48 am PDT
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